Sunday, June 7, 2009

Fudgy Rich Black Bean Brownies

Posted by
Marillyn Beard

TweetI came across this recipe from Mothering.com and was instantly curious. Black beans? No flour? No sugar? These are actually HEALTHY, GUILT-FREE brownies that would I feed to my daughter without any reservation. But I wanted to see who else had good experience with these "beany" brownies before I tried it. I googled around and found a good recipe in 101 Cookbooks, but I made a few changes to fit what I had in my kitchen.

I made the brownies for Wednesday Bible Study and only told my hubby what I was making. He LOVES chocolate (especially brownies) and was looking forward to trying it out, even though it sounded quirky. So, when the time came to pass out the brownies... I could barely contain myself. I tried some earlier and could not believe how delicious it was. After they all tasted it and started raving on the texture and rich taste... I told them.

Wow, the looks on their faces was PRICELESS! They could not believe that something so yummy, rich and moist could have black beans in it without the "beany" taste. The amazing texture and moisture is actually from the pureed beans. If I had time I would've made a mint sauce or homemade vanilla ice cream to go with it. I had to keep some of the brownie away from my hubby because he couldn't stop eating it. Obviously, I will have to make it again soon :o)

For BEST results: Put brownies in refrigerator for several hours or preferably overnight. The flavors improve when cold and it will sliced better. You can used natural coffee substitute, but if you can't find any or have gluten-sensitivities... instant coffee works great.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil or butter an 8x8 baking dish or cake pan (if you want it thick like mine) OR 11 by 18 inch baking pan (if you want it thinner).

Combine the black beans, cocoa powder, eggs, vanilla, instant coffee, sea salt and honey into the Vita-Mix. Blend till smooth, the batter should be thick and will be kinda soupy.

Pour mixture into a bowl. Add butter/coconut oil and nuts. Mix well and pour into prepared dish or pan. Bake 30-45 minutes, or until the brownies are set. If you press your finger in the middle, it should make a little dent. Don't overbake!

Let it cool (and preferably refrigerated) in the pan completely before cutting and serving.

NOTE: I did not do this, but you can line your baking pan with parchment paper and lightly oil it for ease of use.

OPTIONAL: If you love the rich flavor and want to make it even more richer: add 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Hello Honeychka! some people don't want to use instant coffee so they would use instant grain coffee substitute which roasted grains. You can use instant coffee powder... I've used both kinds. They simply help the bring out a strong chocolate flavor. Hope you enjoy it!!! Have you checked out the Bizarre Love Triangle Brownies?? You can make that without the crust if you want... SO good and it gives a larger batch.

Oh wow, I just looked at that recipe and looks amazing! i don't have any instant coffee and we do not drink it, so I don't want to buy a jar of it. But I do have herbal coffee and real coffee, can I use them for these two recipes?Thanks again,Yana

Just made the brownies last night. I used about 6 tablespoons of expresso instead of the instant coffee and agave instead of honey. Since I used the agave, I lowered the overn temp by 25 degrees to 325. I subsitutued the butter with ghee to make it non-dairy and did about half ghee half coconut oil. It was hard to tell when they were down, as the coconut oil and ghee continued to bubble. I finally took them out and decided it would be best to let them cool and put them in the refrigerator to solidify more. I love these brownies! I live in Mexico and just moved from Escazu, Costa Rica, so I really applaud your effortsw. I know how hard it is to find all these "healthy" ingredients when there is no Whole Foods anywhere to be found! I can't wait to try some other recipes on your site.

These are delicious! I upped the cocoa to 1/3 cup and reduced the honey to 2/3 cup. Also cut the coffee in half. :) The texture was fairly "eggy" which is not a bad thing, but I'd like to see if I can get a denser texture by cutting back to 3 or even 2 eggs. Thanks so much. I'll be making these again.

Hello, I am interested in trying this brownie recipe, however I don't have a food processor, only a blender. Will that be a problem? Is somehow a food processor more suitable to making this recipe? If someone can help me on this I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you! :)

Rebekah - Glad you like them! Sorry the texture was "eggy"... it wasn't like that for me at all! It totally had a wonderful texture much like a brownie. But some things come out differently in different places.

Anonymous - A blender is totally fine. I use mine all the time and actually now prefer that over the food processor. Just make sure you get the liquids down to the blades to help liquify the mixture before it gets too hot and start to "cook". Often the base gets too hot... that's why a food processor is nice. I have a Blendtec, which has a wide base and blends very easily without getting too warm.

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